Inside Rob Reiner's troubled relationship with son Nick

Late director Rob Reiner made his 'most personal film' ever inspired by his tumultuous relationship with his youngest son, Nick.   

On Monday, LAPD confirmed Nick, 32, was 'responsible' for the death of his father Rob, 78, and mother Michele Singer, 70.

Hollywood actor and director Rob and his wife Michelle were found dead in their $13.5 million home with fatal knife wounds, including slashes to their throats, according to sources.

Nick, who is known to have a history of drug addiction and volatile mental health, was booked on a federal murder charge on Monday morning, LA Sheriff's Office records show. 

He is now being held in jail without bail after police determined he was 'responsible' for his parents' deaths.

In 2015, Reiner opened up about the troubled relationship with Nick when he directed his son's semi-autobiographical drama, Being Charlie, which was based on Nick's experience with heroin addiction and homelessness. 

His struggles with addiction began in childhood, with Nick entering rehab for the first time at the age of 15. 

By the time he was 19 he had been to rehab 17 times, having been caught in a continual cycle of seeking treatment then relapsing. 

Yet amid his addiction battle, Nick turned to writing, eventually penning the screenplay for Being Charlie, which was loosely based on his struggles. 

It ended up being a family project, with Reiner taking the role of director. 

The project saw Nick Robinson cast to play Charlie (based on Nick), while Carey Elwes played David (based on Reiner). 

In the film - which received mixed reviews - Charlie resents the harsh way his parents treat his addiction - enforcing mandatory stints in rehab. 

Discussing the film with PEOPLE, Nick shared: 'It’s not my life but I went to a lot of these places, so I had a lot of these stories.'

On how his experiences tallied up with the screen, Nick continued: 'I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. 

'I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.'

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He explained that he was on the streets when he refused to go back to rehab, stating: 'If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless... 

'When I was out there, I could’ve died. It’s all luck. You roll the dice and you hope you make it. 

'I met crazy great people there, so out of my element. Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in L.A. and being around my family. But there was a lot of dark years there.'

The film ends with Charlie's father apologising to him for the way in which he treated him during his addiction battle - which Reiner revealed was based on a real experience.  

He told L.A. Times: 'When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.'

Michele added: 'We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he's a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.'

In a post-screening Q&A, the pair were asked about their relationship now. 

While Nick did not answer, Reiner said that 'we didn't set out for it to be cathartic or for it to be therapeutic, but it turned out to be that'.

He added 'there were disagreements' and 'at times it was really rough' when the pair were trying to figure out how to depict the reality of their relationship in the movie. 

To which Nick confessed: 'Sometimes it would get overwhelming for me.'

Yet Reiner noted that their relationship had changed for the better. 

'To be honest, by the time we got to the point of making the movie it didn't matter if we actually did,' he mused. 'Because our relationship had gotten so much closer.'

When the film was released in 2015 Nick said his priority was remaining sober so that he would never return to the streets again.

He also reflected on the lack of 'bond' he had with his father growing up, citing their very different interests. 

Nick recalled: 'He really like baseball. I like basketball. When I saw him do [direct Being Charlie] and it was something that I’m interested in, I was like, "Wow, he really knows a lot." It made me feel closer to him.'

For his part, Reiner praised his son for being 'the heart and soul of the film', noting it was the 'most personal' project he'd ever worked on. 

Reiner made many of the best-known movies of the 1980s and 1990s, including Stand By Me in 1987, legal thriller A Few Good Men in 1992 and romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally in 1989.

On Sunday, a Reiner family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of the director and his wife, saying: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner.

'We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.'

The couple's daughter Romy - who lives across the street - is said to have made the grim discovery when she visited their sprawling six-bedroom estate.

The 28-year-old, who is Reiner's youngest child, told police that a family member 'should be a suspect' because they are 'dangerous', according to TMZ. 

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The tragedy comes after Romy previously shared her closeness with her brother, describing Nick as her 'best friend' and revealing that she had supported him throughout his battle with drug addiction.

Nick had moved back in with his parents in recent weeks, Deadline reported. The young man, who had since a teenager struggled with drug addiction and homelessness, was once again spiraling.

One family source told TMZ that Rob and Michele were 'at their wits' end' about their troubled son, and at some point on Saturday night he had a blazing row with his father, inside O'Brien's estate. Other guests overheard the commotion, but brushed it off.

Romy is one of Reiner's four children. The director also had sons Jake and Nick with Michele, while he adopted daughter Tracy with his ex-wife Penny Marshall. 

Daily Mail have contacted the Reiner's representative for comment. 

In the UK you can contact the FRANK helpline on 0300 123 6600 for confidential advice, information and support to anyone concerned about drugs

In the US, you can contact Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on 1-800-662-HELP (4357)